L. Glenna - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by L. Glenna
Pruning of tree and vine crops is typically performed manually and accounts for the second larges... more Pruning of tree and vine crops is typically performed manually and accounts for the second largest labor costs, after harvesting. As well as the cost of labor, the availability of labor is a major concern. This project was initiated to address these concerns, and investigate whether advances in fields such as machine vision and robotics could be applied to developing autonomous pruners for grape and apple. This SCRI-funded project includes participants in the fields of pomology (Baugher, Hirst, Schupp), viticulture (Tarara), engineering (Park, Kak, Koselka, Wallach), economics (Seavert) and rural sociology (Glenna, Patel-Campillo). This multi-disciplinary team is focused on developing new technology, evaluating that technology, and determining the barriers to adoption. Previous work by our commercial partner, Vision Robotics Corp, has developed an autonomous pruner for grapevines that is currently being refined. It is undergoing field testing and should be commercially available by ...
Review of European Studies, 2012
This study investig ates th e effect of religious id entity o n U.S. Presi dential voter choice i... more This study investig ates th e effect of religious id entity o n U.S. Presi dential voter choice in o rder to determin e whether th is relationship chan ged over time. Th e research literature i s divided on t his question with sev eral investigators finding a positive trend in religious-political p olarization sin ce 19 80, and others fi nding no polarization. Th e stud y further addresses a pu tative li nk between so cial in equality and relig ious politics b y identifying the race, cl ass, and ge nder location of religiously influenced voters, using m ultiple cross sections from t he General S ocial Survey t o em pirically model P residential voting over t he period 1980 t o 2 008. T he findings demonstrate th at religious id entity in fluenced voter cho ice, and t hat th is influ ence in creased significantly and substantially across the study period. Second, that upper class whites are the source of religious partisan polari ty, and uppe r class whites beca me more po larized ove r t he period 1980 to 2008. The effect of gender on partisanship is less p ronounced, an d ov ershadowed b y so cial class and religio us identity. The study findings demonstrate that religiously influenced Presidential voting reflects the political behavior of a relativ ely privileged component of the electorate.
Journal of Rural Studies, 2014
To analyze the experiences of farmers involved in a participatory plant breeding project in West ... more To analyze the experiences of farmers involved in a participatory plant breeding project in West Africa, we develop a two-dimensional framework for evaluating the process and outcomes of participatory agricultural research for development projects. On one axis, we draw on existing typologies to describe the participatory process as consultative, collaborative, or collegial. On another axis, we theorize and test the outcomes of participation; specifically, whether the process achieves instrumental goals, is empowering for participants, or is manipulative toward participants. Qualitative interviews with farmers and technicians indicate a range of instrumental and empowering outcomes emerging from the participatory process, which support food security through access to seeds and a new ability to share information learned through the research process.
Policies designed to promote the commercialization of university science have provoked concern th... more Policies designed to promote the commercialization of university science have provoked concern that basic and publicly accessible research may be neglected. Commercialization policies have altered traditional institutional incentives and constraints, which raises new questions regarding the influence of scientists' values on university research agendas. Our research builds on previous quantitative studies measuring changes in research outcomes and qualitative studies probing differentiation among scientists' value orientations. We developed a nation-wide survey of 912 plant and animal biotechnology scientists at 60 research universities. Our analysis reveals that scientists' value orientations on what we classify as "market" and "expert" science affect the amount of industry funding they receive, the proprietary nature of their discoveries, and the percentage of basic science research conducted in their laboratories. We also find that the percentage of industry funding is significantly associated with more applied research. Our findings provide insights for science and society theory and suggest that strong incentives for public-science research along with adequate public-research funds to preserve the university's vital role in conducting basic and non-proprietary research are needed to complement private-sector research investments at universities.
Nascent development in alternative energy technologies can be greatly affected by intellectual pr... more Nascent development in alternative energy technologies can be greatly affected by intellectual property environments. Tight control over foundational patent rights by a few companies can hold up commercialization. Conversely, widely dispersed ownership can create thickets that discourage innovation investment ex ante. Given the high-technology nature of the most promising alternative energy proposals, such intellectual property impacts are of great concern. This Article considers the issue in the specific context of the most widely used alternative fuel source-ethanol-based biofuels. It finds that the ownership environment is quite diverse and theoretically ripe for a socalled anticommons effect. However, using analogies to general agricultural biotechnology, this Article demonstrates that the biofuel patent environment is likely to undergo a striking transformation through the effects of private ordering. It articulates a general model of ordering behavior and suggests the most important conditions that facilitate ordering in particular industries. This Article concludes that market-based reordering of patent ownership, although not without negatives, may promote efficient commercialization and blunt the need for government intervention in certain alternative energies. It should be factored into any rational public energy policy.
Rural Sociology, 2015
Neoliberalism is the political ideology behind efforts to commercialize university science. The d... more Neoliberalism is the political ideology behind efforts to commercialize university science. The development of genetically engineered (GE) crops has facilitated the commercialization process because GE crops generally have more restrictive intellectual property protections than conventional crops. Those restrictions have led some to question whether long-term university research and innovations are being compromised to protect short-term intellectual property interests. This concern is evident in two letters submitted by public-sector entomologists in February 2009 to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The letters asserted that scientists are prohibited from conducting fully independent research on the efficacy and environmental impact of GE crops. In response to the letter, the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) negotiated an agreement between university scientists and seed companies to protect industry property rights while enabling university scientists to conduct research with more independence. Through a survey of public-and private-sector entomologists who are members of two regional entomologist research groups, we document scientists' perspectives on the adequacy of the ASTA agreement and whether those scientists have experienced limitations on their research projects involving efficacy and environmental impacts. Our findings show that limitations exist and that certain forms of public knowledge about crops are likely being compromised. These findings have implications for the legitimacy of current risk management institutions, as well as for future technological breakthroughs and innovations.
United States policy makers are promoting bio-fuels as an economic development opportunity, espec... more United States policy makers are promoting bio-fuels as an economic development opportunity, especially for rural America. A USDA study claims that developments in energy production from biomass could increase profits for agricultural commodity producers. However, as William Heffernan and his colleagues have demonstrated, concentration in the agrifood sector limits the economic benefits going to the commodity producers. Relying on Heffernan's
Bioprocess, Bioseparation, and Cell Technology, 2009
Society & Natural Resources, 2014
ABSTRACT Using survey and interview data gathered from educators and educational administrators, ... more ABSTRACT Using survey and interview data gathered from educators and educational administrators, we investigate school and community impacts of unconventional gas extraction within Pennsylvania's Marcellus Shale region. Respondents in areas with high levels of drilling are significantly more likely to perceive the effects of local economic gains, but also report increased inequality, heightened vulnerability of disadvantaged community members, and pronounced strains on local infrastructure. As community stakeholders in positions of local leadership, school leaders in areas experiencing Marcellus Shale natural gas extraction often face multiple decision-making dilemmas. These dilemmas occur in the context of incomplete information and rapid, unpredictable community change involving the emergence of both new opportunities and new insecurities.
Society & Natural Resources, 2010
... From Renewable to Alternative: Waste Coal, the Pennsylvania Alternative Energy Portfolio Stan... more ... From Renewable to Alternative: Waste Coal, the Pennsylvania Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard, and Public Legitimacy. ... implications of using environmental policies to promote economic growth. The Case of Pennsylvania's RPS. ...
Social Studies of Science, 2006
ABSTRACT Private sector firms have dominated the research, development, and commercialization pro... more ABSTRACT Private sector firms have dominated the research, development, and commercialization processes for transgenic crops. This has led to a narrow focus on a few commercially important crops and engineered traits, while minor crops and traits remain largely ignored. Analysts have decried this situation and called for more public-centered research regimes, such as research on minor crops and traits. Universities are often identified as places where research on the more minor crops and traits should occur. The burgeoning literature on the changing structure of the university toward an institution more aligned with private for-profit sector interests and orientations calls these arguments into question. Using time series data from 1993-2002 obtained from the US Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, we find that over time, university research on transgenic crops has increasingly mirrored the research profile of for-profit firms.
Social Studies of Science, 2007
ABSTRACT The eugenics movement during the first half of the 20th century has been described as a ... more ABSTRACT The eugenics movement during the first half of the 20th century has been described as a transnational social movement because of the way it flourished on different continents between World Wars I and II. Political opportunity structure is a term used to explain the social rules and resources that enable such a movement to emerge seemingly simultaneously in diverse settings. One opportunity structure in the eugenics movement that requires further exploration is the university. Since US agricultural scientists were so prominent in the transnational eugenics movement, it is especially relevant to document the initiation and persistence of eugenics courses in the US Land-Grant University (LGU) system. By examining course-offerings at LGUs through the 20th century, we demonstrate that eugenics courses were available at prominent US research institutions not only prior to World War I, but also after the end of World War II, when eugenics was considered bad and inappropriate science.
Social Science Quarterly, 2009
In this article, we analyze voter choice data from six U.S. presidential elections for evidence o... more In this article, we analyze voter choice data from six U.S. presidential elections for evidence of religious identity and sociodemographic effects on voter choice. Methods. Voter choice is analyzed over the period 1980 to 2000 with multivariate statistical models. Results. A link is found between voter choice and religious identity, where the effect of religious identity on voter choice is contingent on location within the stratification order defined by race, class, and gender. The article proposes a theory to explain the contingent link between voter choice and religious identity; the theory is derived from classical sociology. Conclusion. In the United States, political behavior related to religious identity is contingent on the individual's location within the stratification order.
Research Policy, 2008
Analysts assessing the impact of university-industry research relations (UIRRs) and increasing pr... more Analysts assessing the impact of university-industry research relations (UIRRs) and increasing proprietary behavior on the part of universities often focus on single-indicators or adopt promotional or critical stances. However, assessing impacts of shifts toward a more proprietary university is inherently complex because of potential countervailing or mediating factors within working relationships. From interviews with 84 biological scientists at nine universities we find scientists view UIRRS and university intellectual property (IP) policies in complex and often conflicting ways. For example, university scientists believe UIRRs are valuable for increasing contact with scientists, but are problematic because working with industry can restrict communication among scientists. Also scientists believe university IP policies should shield their work from opportunistic behavior and at the same time be designed to attract industry partners. In addition scientists believe universities use their IP policies primarily as revenue raising vehicles and secondarily to address public good issues such as technology transfer.
Pruning of tree and vine crops is typically performed manually and accounts for the second larges... more Pruning of tree and vine crops is typically performed manually and accounts for the second largest labor costs, after harvesting. As well as the cost of labor, the availability of labor is a major concern. This project was initiated to address these concerns, and investigate whether advances in fields such as machine vision and robotics could be applied to developing autonomous pruners for grape and apple. This SCRI-funded project includes participants in the fields of pomology (Baugher, Hirst, Schupp), viticulture (Tarara), engineering (Park, Kak, Koselka, Wallach), economics (Seavert) and rural sociology (Glenna, Patel-Campillo). This multi-disciplinary team is focused on developing new technology, evaluating that technology, and determining the barriers to adoption. Previous work by our commercial partner, Vision Robotics Corp, has developed an autonomous pruner for grapevines that is currently being refined. It is undergoing field testing and should be commercially available by ...
Review of European Studies, 2012
This study investig ates th e effect of religious id entity o n U.S. Presi dential voter choice i... more This study investig ates th e effect of religious id entity o n U.S. Presi dential voter choice in o rder to determin e whether th is relationship chan ged over time. Th e research literature i s divided on t his question with sev eral investigators finding a positive trend in religious-political p olarization sin ce 19 80, and others fi nding no polarization. Th e stud y further addresses a pu tative li nk between so cial in equality and relig ious politics b y identifying the race, cl ass, and ge nder location of religiously influenced voters, using m ultiple cross sections from t he General S ocial Survey t o em pirically model P residential voting over t he period 1980 t o 2 008. T he findings demonstrate th at religious id entity in fluenced voter cho ice, and t hat th is influ ence in creased significantly and substantially across the study period. Second, that upper class whites are the source of religious partisan polari ty, and uppe r class whites beca me more po larized ove r t he period 1980 to 2008. The effect of gender on partisanship is less p ronounced, an d ov ershadowed b y so cial class and religio us identity. The study findings demonstrate that religiously influenced Presidential voting reflects the political behavior of a relativ ely privileged component of the electorate.
Journal of Rural Studies, 2014
To analyze the experiences of farmers involved in a participatory plant breeding project in West ... more To analyze the experiences of farmers involved in a participatory plant breeding project in West Africa, we develop a two-dimensional framework for evaluating the process and outcomes of participatory agricultural research for development projects. On one axis, we draw on existing typologies to describe the participatory process as consultative, collaborative, or collegial. On another axis, we theorize and test the outcomes of participation; specifically, whether the process achieves instrumental goals, is empowering for participants, or is manipulative toward participants. Qualitative interviews with farmers and technicians indicate a range of instrumental and empowering outcomes emerging from the participatory process, which support food security through access to seeds and a new ability to share information learned through the research process.
Policies designed to promote the commercialization of university science have provoked concern th... more Policies designed to promote the commercialization of university science have provoked concern that basic and publicly accessible research may be neglected. Commercialization policies have altered traditional institutional incentives and constraints, which raises new questions regarding the influence of scientists' values on university research agendas. Our research builds on previous quantitative studies measuring changes in research outcomes and qualitative studies probing differentiation among scientists' value orientations. We developed a nation-wide survey of 912 plant and animal biotechnology scientists at 60 research universities. Our analysis reveals that scientists' value orientations on what we classify as "market" and "expert" science affect the amount of industry funding they receive, the proprietary nature of their discoveries, and the percentage of basic science research conducted in their laboratories. We also find that the percentage of industry funding is significantly associated with more applied research. Our findings provide insights for science and society theory and suggest that strong incentives for public-science research along with adequate public-research funds to preserve the university's vital role in conducting basic and non-proprietary research are needed to complement private-sector research investments at universities.
Nascent development in alternative energy technologies can be greatly affected by intellectual pr... more Nascent development in alternative energy technologies can be greatly affected by intellectual property environments. Tight control over foundational patent rights by a few companies can hold up commercialization. Conversely, widely dispersed ownership can create thickets that discourage innovation investment ex ante. Given the high-technology nature of the most promising alternative energy proposals, such intellectual property impacts are of great concern. This Article considers the issue in the specific context of the most widely used alternative fuel source-ethanol-based biofuels. It finds that the ownership environment is quite diverse and theoretically ripe for a socalled anticommons effect. However, using analogies to general agricultural biotechnology, this Article demonstrates that the biofuel patent environment is likely to undergo a striking transformation through the effects of private ordering. It articulates a general model of ordering behavior and suggests the most important conditions that facilitate ordering in particular industries. This Article concludes that market-based reordering of patent ownership, although not without negatives, may promote efficient commercialization and blunt the need for government intervention in certain alternative energies. It should be factored into any rational public energy policy.
Rural Sociology, 2015
Neoliberalism is the political ideology behind efforts to commercialize university science. The d... more Neoliberalism is the political ideology behind efforts to commercialize university science. The development of genetically engineered (GE) crops has facilitated the commercialization process because GE crops generally have more restrictive intellectual property protections than conventional crops. Those restrictions have led some to question whether long-term university research and innovations are being compromised to protect short-term intellectual property interests. This concern is evident in two letters submitted by public-sector entomologists in February 2009 to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The letters asserted that scientists are prohibited from conducting fully independent research on the efficacy and environmental impact of GE crops. In response to the letter, the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) negotiated an agreement between university scientists and seed companies to protect industry property rights while enabling university scientists to conduct research with more independence. Through a survey of public-and private-sector entomologists who are members of two regional entomologist research groups, we document scientists' perspectives on the adequacy of the ASTA agreement and whether those scientists have experienced limitations on their research projects involving efficacy and environmental impacts. Our findings show that limitations exist and that certain forms of public knowledge about crops are likely being compromised. These findings have implications for the legitimacy of current risk management institutions, as well as for future technological breakthroughs and innovations.
United States policy makers are promoting bio-fuels as an economic development opportunity, espec... more United States policy makers are promoting bio-fuels as an economic development opportunity, especially for rural America. A USDA study claims that developments in energy production from biomass could increase profits for agricultural commodity producers. However, as William Heffernan and his colleagues have demonstrated, concentration in the agrifood sector limits the economic benefits going to the commodity producers. Relying on Heffernan's
Bioprocess, Bioseparation, and Cell Technology, 2009
Society & Natural Resources, 2014
ABSTRACT Using survey and interview data gathered from educators and educational administrators, ... more ABSTRACT Using survey and interview data gathered from educators and educational administrators, we investigate school and community impacts of unconventional gas extraction within Pennsylvania's Marcellus Shale region. Respondents in areas with high levels of drilling are significantly more likely to perceive the effects of local economic gains, but also report increased inequality, heightened vulnerability of disadvantaged community members, and pronounced strains on local infrastructure. As community stakeholders in positions of local leadership, school leaders in areas experiencing Marcellus Shale natural gas extraction often face multiple decision-making dilemmas. These dilemmas occur in the context of incomplete information and rapid, unpredictable community change involving the emergence of both new opportunities and new insecurities.
Society & Natural Resources, 2010
... From Renewable to Alternative: Waste Coal, the Pennsylvania Alternative Energy Portfolio Stan... more ... From Renewable to Alternative: Waste Coal, the Pennsylvania Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard, and Public Legitimacy. ... implications of using environmental policies to promote economic growth. The Case of Pennsylvania's RPS. ...
Social Studies of Science, 2006
ABSTRACT Private sector firms have dominated the research, development, and commercialization pro... more ABSTRACT Private sector firms have dominated the research, development, and commercialization processes for transgenic crops. This has led to a narrow focus on a few commercially important crops and engineered traits, while minor crops and traits remain largely ignored. Analysts have decried this situation and called for more public-centered research regimes, such as research on minor crops and traits. Universities are often identified as places where research on the more minor crops and traits should occur. The burgeoning literature on the changing structure of the university toward an institution more aligned with private for-profit sector interests and orientations calls these arguments into question. Using time series data from 1993-2002 obtained from the US Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, we find that over time, university research on transgenic crops has increasingly mirrored the research profile of for-profit firms.
Social Studies of Science, 2007
ABSTRACT The eugenics movement during the first half of the 20th century has been described as a ... more ABSTRACT The eugenics movement during the first half of the 20th century has been described as a transnational social movement because of the way it flourished on different continents between World Wars I and II. Political opportunity structure is a term used to explain the social rules and resources that enable such a movement to emerge seemingly simultaneously in diverse settings. One opportunity structure in the eugenics movement that requires further exploration is the university. Since US agricultural scientists were so prominent in the transnational eugenics movement, it is especially relevant to document the initiation and persistence of eugenics courses in the US Land-Grant University (LGU) system. By examining course-offerings at LGUs through the 20th century, we demonstrate that eugenics courses were available at prominent US research institutions not only prior to World War I, but also after the end of World War II, when eugenics was considered bad and inappropriate science.
Social Science Quarterly, 2009
In this article, we analyze voter choice data from six U.S. presidential elections for evidence o... more In this article, we analyze voter choice data from six U.S. presidential elections for evidence of religious identity and sociodemographic effects on voter choice. Methods. Voter choice is analyzed over the period 1980 to 2000 with multivariate statistical models. Results. A link is found between voter choice and religious identity, where the effect of religious identity on voter choice is contingent on location within the stratification order defined by race, class, and gender. The article proposes a theory to explain the contingent link between voter choice and religious identity; the theory is derived from classical sociology. Conclusion. In the United States, political behavior related to religious identity is contingent on the individual's location within the stratification order.
Research Policy, 2008
Analysts assessing the impact of university-industry research relations (UIRRs) and increasing pr... more Analysts assessing the impact of university-industry research relations (UIRRs) and increasing proprietary behavior on the part of universities often focus on single-indicators or adopt promotional or critical stances. However, assessing impacts of shifts toward a more proprietary university is inherently complex because of potential countervailing or mediating factors within working relationships. From interviews with 84 biological scientists at nine universities we find scientists view UIRRS and university intellectual property (IP) policies in complex and often conflicting ways. For example, university scientists believe UIRRs are valuable for increasing contact with scientists, but are problematic because working with industry can restrict communication among scientists. Also scientists believe university IP policies should shield their work from opportunistic behavior and at the same time be designed to attract industry partners. In addition scientists believe universities use their IP policies primarily as revenue raising vehicles and secondarily to address public good issues such as technology transfer.